Almost Lover
by midnightandcounting
Summary: When Malchior escapes his prison, Raven suddenly goes emotional and loses control of her powers. Mal/Rae and Rob/Rae. Rating may change soon.
1. Sweet Nothings

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of it's characters, nor do I own the song Almost Lover which is by A Fine Frenzy.

A/N: Hi! This is my first fanfiction so please help me improve it through your suggestions and commentary. NOTE: I edited this chapter on 4/18/2011. So in case you are a returning reader and you're like "WTF IT'S DIFFERENT," well, now you know why. I might come back and make more edits later on FYI. I'm not really happy with this chapter at all. One thing I would like to ask readers is whether or not I should keep the song lyrics in there or just take them out. Please keep that in mind while you read and let me know if you have an opinion.

Raven's POV

She staggered, barely catching herself and continued down the cold hallway. Silent screams shook Raven's mind and she gasped, clutching the edge of her navy cloak and increasing her speed. The plain door stood half-hidden in the faint moonlight drifting in from the skylight slanted on the ceiling. One name, 'Raven,' was painted in simple black letters on the door. Phasing through, Raven collapsed on her bed and gave in, releasing the raging river that had swirled and grew behind her mental dam for the past month. _"Dammit," _she thought bitterly, _"I'm crying! I promised myself I wouldn't cry, that fucking BASTARD!"_

A small figurine resting on one of the many dark shelves smothering the walls of the large room glowed black for a moment before shattering and sending shards across the room. Several other items followed suit and after only a minute, the floor glistened with the sinister light of thousands of broken pieces. Watching sourly, the petite girl lying on the bed, sighed and let her own broken pieces flow down her cheeks to join the mess below.

_**Your fingertips across my skin  
The palm trees swaying in the wind  
Images  
You sang me Spanish lullabies  
The sweetest sadness in your eyes  
Clever trick**_

The bitter memories danced across the girls mind, bringing forth more tears. _"It's been a month... Why does he still affect me like this, why? He is trash, an asshole, I should be happy he's gone." _Raven's eyes darkened as a deeper version of her own voice sounded in her mind, _"You loved him, that's why you still hurt. Poor, poor, weak little Raven. Your emotions truly are your downfall... It's pitiful really, he used you and you made it easy for him."_

_**Well, I never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me**_

_**[Chorus]  
Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do**_

A sour sneer rose on Raven's face, swallowing her delicate features and transforming them into sharp, angry lines and shapes. Feral snarls dripped from her parted lips, echoing around the dark room. Morphing her despair into anger she rose a foot off the bed and began to fly upwards, straight through several floors, startling Robin in the gym when she passed right next to him and continued on. _"Dammit, now Robin's going to come play the hero and try to 'help' me."_

Finally reaching her destination, Raven landed softly on the roof of the giant 't' shaped tower she called home. She sank to the ground, her burst of rage dissipating as she considered how to convince Robin she was okay. Lapsing into deep thought, the memories crept to the front of her mind to haunt her once again.

_**We walked along a crowded street  
You took my hand and danced with me  
Images  
And when you left, you kissed my lips  
You told me you would never, never forget  
These images **_

**They walked hand in hand, down the busy street towards the cafe on the corner. He smiled down at her and pulled her closer, whispering sweet nothings to her hair. A goofy grin grew on Raven's face as she sank into the security his convincing smile bestowed upon her. Completely under his spell, she continued with the man she loved at her side.**

Another scene shuffled in to fill the gap created by the previous memories fade.

**The same couple sat happily on a red, wood bench surrounded by thick trees and shrubs. A baby blue sky specked with several fluffy clouds occupied the space above them. The man began to speak, "Raven," he began, "you've transcended my wildest expectations with your progress. I believe you are ready to begin the spell. You can do it now, you can set me free, my sweet Raven..."**

The memory faded away as Raven sensed Robin's presence next to her.

"Raven?" His voice was cautious.

"What? Is there an emergency?" Raven replied coolly, dodging his intentions. "I'm not really in the mood to talk right now so if there isn't any trouble then you should go." She did not try to soften the bite in her tone.

Robin's eyes widened, clearly offended. "Tell me what's wrong Raven, and don't just say nothing because I'm not stupid. I know there is something going on. Is it about Malchior?"

Raven just stood silently scanning the city from their breath-taking vantage point. "No," she said after a moment, " I wouldn't try to lie, I know your not that foolish. It is about Malchior but that is all you need to know."

"If he did anything to you I will personally kill him in the most painful way known to any creature!" Robin's voice rang out over the soft hum of the breeze.

_**No**_

_**Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me**_

_**[Chorus]  
Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do**_

Raven fell back into a silence, once more allowing the painful images to occupy her thoughts. Robin, annoyed spun and stomped away. Before disappearing down the stairwell, he turned and said, "Sometimes I don't even know why I bother, Raven." He watched her still figure for a moment before sighing and continuing down the stairs to join his other teammates.

_**I cannot go to the ocean  
I cannot drive the streets at night  
I cannot wake up in the morning  
Without you on my mind  
So you're gone and I'm haunted  
And I bet you are just fine**_

_**Did I make it that  
Easy to walk right in and out  
Of my life?**_

The tears returned to Raven's pale face. She remembered the mess in her room. Flying down the stairs and to her room, Raven heard many unidentifiable objects explode under the stress of her rampant emotions. When the door swished shut behind her, Raven looked around her lonely room. The shards, like eyes, gleamed back at her and followed her movements as she gathered a normal outfit and changed out of her uniform.

An hour later, she sat in the empty corner of her favorite cafe. Consumed in her thoughts, Raven quietly observed the other customers. A single face stared back at her. Her heart, what was left of it, jerked to a painful stop. Gasping she struggled to clear her mind and stop hallucinating. Halfway across the room, Malchior , in his true human form, walked up to the shocked sorceress. He smiled at her, it wasn't _that_ smile, but it was a fake one. Malchior bowed mockingly at her and then turned and left. Confused by his strange actions, Raven drew several shaky breaths before leaving the cafe. As she swung out onto the now empty sidewalk, her eyes narrowed in anger. _"That jerkass, stupid, conceited, sonovabitch. Despite everything he has done, I still love him. Dammit, I love him!"_

_**[Chorus]  
Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should have known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do**_

Malchior's POV

Malchoir watched Raven stomp down the sidewalk, clearly pissed. He smiled bitterly and felt a single tear trail down his cheek. Surprised, he lifted a finger to rub it away and watched the sweet Raven, no longer his, walk farther from him. The pain in his chest increasing with every step she took.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I really need help so please leave a review to tell me if I should keep going or just drop it here. I really liked this chapter until I got to the roof, then it just kind of fell apart… anyway, please tell me how to improve it! Thanks!


	2. The Deal

AN: Hey guys! Thanks for the lovely reviews I got! They made my day. I really wanted to have this chapter out a long time ago… but yeah, that didn't work out so well. I have a new laptop now! It's a Dell Studio 1550! I'm in love! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Almost Lover

Malchior's POV

The dirty, decrepit walls of the small room were beginning to close in on him. He hated being cooped up in this ridiculously tiny "apartment". It consisted of two rooms; a living room/kitchen and a bathroom. The bed was crammed under the window next to the old TV. A rotten table sat behind the beat up recliner in front of the TV. The small stool beside it was the only object in the room that looked as though it was only two or three years old. Everything else appeared as ancient as he was.

Pulled from his thoughts, Malchior abruptly stood up from the recliner and walked to the door. He made sure to put on his dark sunglasses and hat before leaving the room he had existed in for the past two weeks. When Raven had sealed him back in the book after his… lack of judgment…. he had expected to be there for a while. His surprise when he was suddenly and unexplainably released was immense.

Malchior dipped his head politely when he passed the land lady; a small severe looking woman named Amanda. As he strolled down the street towards the rendezvous point, he contemplated whether or not this "deal" he had gotten into was worth it. A grimace crossed his shadowed face as the dull warning in his bones told him the answer.

Robin's POV

Robin growled and punched the training dummy in front of him. He couldn't get the image of her stoic face out of his mind. How could she be so clueless? How could she not understand why he treated her the way he did? It was so obvious to him. Everything he said to her seemed to scream it to anyone listening close enough to hear. Cyborg had noticed instantly. He was so protective of Raven that the moment Robin had realized his opinion about Raven, Cyborg picked up on it.

Robin wondered why he hadn't just manned up and told her by now. He knew it would hurt Starfire and Beastboy a lot, but eventually they would understand and move on. He could think of no logical explanation as to why he couldn't just tell her. She wasn't that scary. Inside, Robin did know. He felt guilty about it. Robin was avoiding it because it made him feel like a bad leader. Fearless Robin couldn't even handle this.

Raven's POV

Raven collapsed in her room in a fit of tears. All she could think of was how the hell he got out of the book. More importantly, how come she hadn't noticed it? She pulled out the key that she kept on a chain around her neck. It slid soundlessly into the tiny hole in the wall behind her curtain. When she turned it around in a complete circle, the wall next to her bookcase slid open to reveal a hidden walk – in closet. Not even Cyborg knew about this room. She had used her powers to alter the walls of her room the first day she was in it. No one had noticed that it didn't fit the blueprints. After all, they were rarely in her room. She walked into the small space and looked at the small chest that lay on the ground against the back wall. It was wide open and the book that used to occupy it was gone. She growled in frustration and punched the wall beside her. "Damn it!"

Malchior's POV

He nodded casually to the bouncer standing by the back entrance to the club and then continued to saunter forward through the door. It led into the private backroom of Downbeat. Few people knew that the high class downtown Jump club housed many criminal meetings such as the one he was participating in now.

The room was dark, illuminated only be a small candle in the middle of a large metal table that did nothing to chase away the shadows sliding around the floor. Several cloaked figures were sitting around the table talking casually. "Ah, Sir Dragon. You found the time to join us?" One voice rose mockingly to greet Malchior. "I've considered your offer. I'll do it. But I have one condition. You let me have the sorceress alive. She won't be of any use to you anyway." He answered stoically.

The room was quiet for a moment. "Very well. We will allow you to keep your little pet. Remember, the rest go to us. If you fail, we'll send you back into that book and let someone else do it."

Malchior stiffened. Was it worth it?

He gave a small grunt of agreement and turned to leave.

"One more thing," the man said, "It must be done by the end of the month. That gives you three weeks, more than enough time to deal with five teenage brats."

Malchior gave no reply. He simply walked away and wondered where to begin his planning.

Raven's POV

Raven perched on the edge of the Tower's roof and watched the hypnotic waves crashing along the rocks. She didn't hear him approach. "Raven," Robin said quietly, "I need to talk to you."

Raven turned to look at him. "What is it?"

Robin took a breath and met her eyes.

AN: I'm sorry that its so short. Damn Writer's Block… Anyway, If anyone has any brilliant plot ideas tell me. Cuz I had a plot but it sorta fizzled out when I tried to write it. So yeah, Thanks!

Sarah


	3. Unnecessary Risks

AN: Hey peeps! Thanks for bearing with me… I know I take ridiculously long periods of time to update… Anyway, without further ado, here it is!

**Unnecessary Risks**

Raven's POV-

The first thing she noticed was how stiff Robin was. He was clearly uncomfortable with what he was trying to say. She waited patiently for him to begin to speak while watching the tension play across his brow.

He stuttered for a moment, which was a very out of character thing for him. She frowned and gave a small, encouraging grunt. Robin's eyes momentarily widened and he immediately took control of his nervousness and wiped his face blank.

They stared at each other for a few more moments. Both faces wearing an identical mask.

Finally, Robin spoke. "Raven, I have been thinking about the problems you had with Malchior."

Raven was slightly shocked and struggled to keep up her calm, uncaring façade. The team had unanimously agreed to drop the Malchior incident and never bring it up again. This was the second time in the last two days Robin has brought it up. Raven mused to herself and almost missed Robin's next words.

"Raven, Beastboy and Cyborg told me about your mirror and what you are after the Malchior incident. They thought I should know. I agree with them. What were you thinking hiding it from us! I know that we all have our secrets but this endangers the entire team and all of our efforts here! You're a demon Raven! Are you planning on killing us all as we sleep! You know I can't keep you here! It's a stupid, unnecessary risk! I would have thought you of all people – well, you're not exactly a person now are you?" Robin suddenly blew up, "I want you to leave the tower for a while. As of this moment you are suspended from the Titans until further action is decided. Pack your things tonight, I want you gone by tomorrow." He finished coldly and left the rooftop with a suppressed sigh of relief.

Raven was left speechless with her mouth hanging open. Her thoughts wouldn't form. She could only feel a numbing sickness spreading throughout her system. 'Not the Titans… NO! I can't lose them! It's my home! NO!' her thoughts sharpened the intense pain in her head and she collapsed in a heap on the roof. The air around her began to swirl dangerously as she feel into an uncontrollable despair. Tremors shook her body and she felt feverish. A warm sensation on her leg alerted her to the fact that she was sobbing. Tears swam down her pale cheeks with startling swiftness. Her hands pulled her cloak around her as she curled up in a fetal position.

Raven was too numb to notice when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her off the roof. She found herself in Malchior's alarmed gaze when she finally looked up.

"What did they do?" Malchior's velvet voice was dangerously low and his eyes burned with fury.

"Robin kicked me off the team for being a demon…"She hated how vulnerable and miserable her voice sounded and tried to pry herself from his comforting grasp.

His arms tightened around him and he suddenly lowered his face to hers. Involuntarily, Raven turned her face to meet his and their lips met hungrily. They stayed like that for several blissful seconds before Malchior pulled away and smiled impishly at her. "It seems you've missed me, love."

She bristled and pulled away. Malchior's eyes were serious again. "I'll kill him!" He snarled.

"Stop it! You have no right to fight for me! I can take care of myself and I won't have you going out acting like my fucking knight in shining armor!" Raven was over the shock of Robin's words and had regained her rage at Malchior.

He stared at her for a moment before turning away. "He's hurt you, I can see it in your eyes and I won't forgive him for that!"

"YOU IDIOT! YOU HURT ME! HOW ARE YOU ANY DIFFERENT FROM HIM! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO JUDGE HIM AFTER EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME!" She screamed at him, releasing all of her pent up rage. "DON'T BE SUCH A FUCKING HYPOCRITE! IF YOU CAN'T FORGIVE HIM THEN YOU SHOULDN'T EVER FORGIVE YOURSELF!"

The air was silent for an instant. He said it so quietly she barely heard it, "I won't."

She turned coldly away from his slumped figure. "Then leave me alone." Her rage was spent. It evaporated on the air as soon as she let it out. "Go away. Leave. Just leave…" Her voice was soft but still strong.

When she turned around he was gone.

Robin's POV-

His relief was short lived. Cyborg was leaning against his door with a sad look on his face when Robin approached. "Hey man. You told her to leave didn't you?"

"Look, before you say anything I just want to explain myself. She didn't tell anyone anything! You and Beastboy found out through the mirror. If that hadn't happened we would all still be blissfully unaware of what she really is. It's not like I have anything against Raven. I just think she should have told us. I don't think it is safe to keep something like her around us when we already know how unstable she is with her emotions. She was my friend, but we have to make sacrificed for the good of the team."

Cyborg stared him down. "I wasn't going to say anything man. I think your making a mistake though, a really bad one. What are you going to tell Starfire and Beastboy?"

Robin sighed. "I don't know… I was hoping to tell them in the morning with your help. They aren't going to take it well at first."

Cyborg watched Robin. He pushed off the wall and started walking away. His voice rose over his shoulder as he left. "No way man. It wasn't my decision. You tell them yourself."

Malchior's POV-

He felt drunk. That was the only way he could explain the rolling dizziness that enveloped his mind as he stumbled up the stairs to his apartment. Drunk without the stupid happiness. He had known that she hated him. He had expected it. That didn't make the pure loathing in her eyes any easier to take. There had been that wonderful slot of time when she had just cried in his arms. Nothing had every effected him as the tears sliding down her beautiful face had. Where were these thoughts coming from? He wondered briefly as he turned to ascend another flight. His mind felt like a stormy sea; his thoughts cresting on brief choppy waves and then falling back down to join the gray abyss of the rest of his notions. "Are you drunk!" The land lady's infuriated voice shocked him from his stupor.

"Ms. Amanda! I didn't notice you. I deeply apologize if my stumbling led you to believe I was intoxicated. On my honor, I haven't had a drink all day," Malchior intoned while bowing apologetically to the short woman. He winced inwardly as he imagined the scathing reply Raven would give him if she were there.

Amanda, on the other hand, seemed mollified with his grave apology and moved on with a suspicious grunt. She called over her shoulder, "If you ever cause any trouble around here, I won't hesitate to throw you out. Gentleman or not."

Malchior smiled charmingly, "I wouldn't dream of it Madame." He continued to his apartment with caution. The small exchange hadn't made him forget his pain; it only made him hide it.

Raven's POV-

All of her belongings were zipping around the room separating themselves into boxes laid out on the floor. The magic she was using was draining her much more than it should have. She realized that her powers were probably slipping away due to the emotional strain she was undergoing. First Malchior returns and now Robin kicks me off the team. She wondered where she could go. No one in the country would even consider selling her an apartment once the news of her rejection got out, which wouldn't take long. Her thoughts drifted longingly to the beautiful city in Azarath where she grew up. Even they would not accept her. This knowledge brought a new pain with it. Nobody wanted her. She grimaced and refocused on packing, doing her best to shut out the pain tearing her apart. Her powers were getting weaker by the minute and more and more of her belongings began to drop out of the air short of their intended destination. With an exasperated sigh Raven gave up and did the rest of the packing by hand.

As she taped up the last box, one name flashed across her mind. There was one person who might take her in. She spurned the thought as soon as it was born and gave an angry growl. But did I really have a choice? She wondered dejectedly. With another sigh she made her decision. She would go to Malchior.

AN: Well what do you think? I'm still sort of floundering around for a complete plot but I have the story line mapped out. Now I just have to write it out…. Please take the time to give me any feedback you may have! Even flames! I'm tough! I can take it! (puffs out chest and stares flamers in the eye) Come and get me!


	4. Alone

**AN: Hello my lovelies! Once again I apologize for the lateness of this update… I would also like to give a humongous cookie and a hug to Shadow the Hedgehog 22 who sent me a lovely private message about the story that left me smiling for hours. Thanks Shadow! This update is for you! ;) A slight warning though, there is some slightly disturbing content (blood, murder) in the first part. It's not graphic but I know some people are bothered by that kind of stuff. This chapter is also FULL of drama. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own the Teen Titans. Got it? **

**4. Alone**

**Raven's POV**

The burning sensation in her calf got worse with each step. Her eyes slid shut for the eighth time in the last minute. She couldn't see the gray sidewalk beneath her feet anymore. Something in her mind whispered that she was dying. Was that even possible? To die of emotional strain? Maybe it was different for her since her powers were so dependent upon her feelings. Just the thought of levitating made her head spin twice as fast as it already was. Rage screamed in her ear, "Fight the weakness! Fight it! Just give me a little control and we'll be fine! I'll get us out of here!" The saddest part was that she was actually considering it.

Raven placed her hand on the brick wall beside her and slumped against the dingy, downtown Jump bar. She couldn't move. It just wasn't feasible. Slowly, raising her head, Raven dimly recognized dozens of faces floating past her. Most just glanced at her and looked away but the rest stared. A man in a sweatshirt and baggy jeans stopped walking and gaped at her. She was too easily recognized with her purple hair and eyes. Mustering the little strength Raven had left, she glared fiercely at the passerby. One by one they turned away and hurried on. She ducked into the alley behind the bar. "What am I doing?" Raven asked herself aloud. Fog crowded her mind as she fought to remember her reason for being there.

A dull thud echoed off the walls of the buildings as Raven slid to the ground. Everything was silent. She stared blankly at the brick wall in front of her. There was a single dark stain on it. A red stain. Crimson red. The sight sent a thrill of sick pleasure down her spine. She wasn't the only one who had died here, all alone in this decrepit alley. She could see what had happened vividly; a beautiful, sexy, and severely drunk woman being pulled into the alley by a handsome man in a black suit. He was kissing her neck and whispering something in her ear. He reached his right hand behind him and pulled a carefully concealed knife out of his back pocket. Raven smiled, she knew what was going to happen. The woman giggled happily and obliviously batted her light blond eyelashes at the man. He backed her up against the wall and pinned her there with his body.

Raven knew she should turn away, pretend to care that a woman had lost her life so brutally in this very place. She couldn't though. She just smirked as a crimson flower bloomed around the knife buried in the woman's white dress. It was beautiful. The man grabbed the lady's purse and took off, leaving the gasping woman to slide slowly down the wall. A sickly scarlet trail followed her the whole way. She reached out her hand, eyes wide, with a shocked expression frozen on her features.

Raven's smile slid off her face. The woman was foolish. No one was going to come save her. No one would take her hand and tell her she was going to be okay. Any thought otherwise was an idiotic lie. She was alone. She always had been. Raven's eyes shut as tears plunged into her lap.

She was all alone.

**Malcior's POV**

He stared blankly at the empty page on the desk before him. He couldn't think about anything other than the way Raven's tears had soaked so quietly into his shirt. Raven didn't sob. You wouldn't even notice she was crying unless you looked at her. That thought made him desperately sad. How many times had she cried alone, unnoticed by those around her? How much pain had she shouldered by herself, hidden from the world? He rubbed his temples and sighed. How the hell was he supposed to plan a break in if he couldn't picture something other than her face?

With a growl he threw down his pencil and shoved the papers off of his desk, watching them drift to the floor. Why was he so powerless when it came to Raven? How was it she could occupy his mind without any effort at all?

Why did he love her so much?

A sense of terror shot up his spine. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. His mind instantly searched for Raven's aura. The feeling deepened. He couldn't find it. He couldn't find Raven. Malchior could always feel her smooth, dark aura in the back of his mind. He was always watching it subconsciously and taking note of where she was and what she was feeling. How had it slipped away without his notice? Had she gone so far away that he couldn't reach her?

His mind quickly and desperately scanned through the possibilities. For an aura to disappear it either meant that it was out of range or it no longer existed. She wouldn't have gone that far away. There was nowhere to go. She was barred from Azarath, Hell wasn't an option and he could sense the entire earth with his powers. That left the other possibility. His mind instantly balked. She couldn't be gone. Not like that. He wouldn't let her leave him.

His hand reached out to grab his shoes, hat and coat. It was trembling so badly, he almost dropped them. After struggling with the clothes a moment he gave up and teleported out of the apartment. There was one thing he could feel. It was terrifyingly tiny. Just an inkling of an aura, and it was vanishing rapidly.

**Raven's POV**

The dark is comforting. It hides you away. Gives you a place to just rest and not have to worry about the judgments and scrutiny of people. In this vast emptiness Raven could just float. She didn't have to think about pain, or loneliness.

This blackness is safety.

She floated blissfully along the currents of unconsciousness. The earth felt further and further away. She realized with a bit of regret that she was going to Hell. To her father. There wasn't anything she could do was there? She was the embodiment of evil. The portal, made only to destroy. At least she had prevented the end of the world. At least her father couldn't use her to destroy the world that had come to love so much, though she didn't belong there.

Malchior…. the thought was whispered by her dying mind. Malchior. She loved him. She loved him a lot. Looking back on her last day she realized what a fool she had been to send Malchior away on the roof of the tower. His embrace had been the best comfort she had ever had. She craved it even now. This was the first time she had ever wanted someone's comfort. How did he do this to her? How did he undo her every defense with just one tender look?

Why did she love him so much?

Her conscious mind became stronger and stronger. Her thoughts were urging her away from the vacant darkness and towards a blinding light. Something had a strong hold on her. It wouldn't let go. She thought of struggling but the grip on her soul was strangely comforting and familiar. She wasn't alone anymore.

**Malchior's POV**

She was lying in a disgusting alley behind a shady looking bar in the projects of downtown Jump. How she got there, he had no idea. Not that it really mattered. What mattered was that she was dead.

Malchior bent at her side unaware of the trash and dirt surrounding them. He gasped with the tremendous effort of focusing all his powers into one purpose, one need.

Bring her back to me. He chanted it like a mantra in his head. Bring her back to me. Bring her back to me.

He didn't feel the exertion from using all his magic like this. He didn't feel the cold ground biting into his knees. He didn't feel the frantic pain and worry gnawing at his chest. All he felt was the slow strengthening of her aura and the joy of bringing her back.

With one final powerful mental push Raven's soul trickled back into her body. He sat back on his heels and waited. All his senses still focused on her.

After an agonizingly long minute, her stunning violet eyes fluttered open. Malchior collapsed in a heap on the ground, torn between crushing her to him and never letting go or just sitting in shock.

"I was so close to losing you," he choked out. The desire to hold her dominated and he tenderly yanked her weakened form into his trembling embrace. She seemed dazed.

"Where am I?" She asked after a moment.

"You are in an alley behind Three Shots Bar in downtown Jump City. I am unaware of how you got here. I found you lying here -" He couldn't say dead. He just couldn't.

She nodded and seemed to consider his words. "You were looking for me?"

The astonishment in her voice sickened him. Had she really given up hope of anyone searching for her? "Of course I was Raven! I already told you. Despite what I did to you before, I really do love you." He answered tiredly. The strain of his efforts was finally catching up to him. "We should go back to my apartment, Love. You do not look very healthy and I am exhausted."

"I just died; of course I don't look very healthy." Raven commented sarcastically. She didn't protest when he pulled her to her feet and teleported them back to his apartment.

As soon as their feet touched solid ground, Malchior swept Raven up into his arms and cradled her to his chest. "Do not ever leave my sight again Love," he whispered in her ear. She was quiet as he carried her back to the bed, shutting the blinds as he went.

Once inside his room, Malchior carefully removed Raven's shoes and laid her on the bed. The dark comforter made Raven's smooth, pale skin stand out. He smiled gently at her and looked around the dingy apartment. "It's not much Love, but welcome home."

A strange expression came over her as she looked at Malchior. "Home," she repeated.

Malchior slid onto the bed beside her and pulled her into the affectionate warmth of his arms. He pressed his nose into her hair and drifted to sleep almost instantly, comforted by her soothing scent of lilac and old books.

**Raven's POV**

She studied his peaceful visage. He was definitely tired. The power it took to bring her back to life had taken a toll on his body. "He brought me back," She thought, wonderingly.

With a rare, soft smile, she kissed his nose and whispered, "I love you."

**AN: Thanks for reading! Like I said, lots of drama. Please tell me if you think any of the characters are too OOC. I know that Raven and Malchior are both a little OOC in this chapter but it was meant to be like that because Raven is accepting death and extremely depressed and Malchior is worried out of his mind… Anyway, there is a magic button on your screen. This magic button has the power to make me very happy and possibly speed up the next update. This button has the lovely words "review this chapter" on it. Please push it. Mr. Penguin wants you to. ****(")**


	5. Losing Control

**Thanks for sticking with the story returning readers! I would like to thank Hugo the Diabolical Penguin for her awesome and extremely informative review. It really helped me get an idea of what everyone else thinks when they read this. Plus I can tell she's a good writer. She has one of those wonderful vocabularies that make me smile. **** I was reading over some of my other chapters and I realized how many spelling and grammar errors there were… I was appalled. Anyway, I'll try harder this time. This chapter might be a little (or a lot) confusing; just a warning.**

**I don't own the Teen Titans, Jump City, or Batman.**

**** Chapter 5 ****

**Losing Control**

_**Raven **_

She woke slowly as if being pulled from molasses. A pounding headache greeted her. There was this niggling feeling behind her headache, a warning light flashing quietly in the hazy tomb that was her mind. She waited for her brain to wake up and groggily took in her unfamiliar surroundings. Reality crashed onto her.

Robin. The Titans. Death.

Malchior

Anger swam through her veins. Before she could stop it Rage reared her ugly head and screamed in Raven's mind. Raven's body reacted and began twisting and shifting into a darker shadowy Raven. Four glowing eyes had just opened on her forehead when Raven slammed the transformation down. Panting with the exertion of fighting Rage, Raven sat up slowly, a dull hate still sliding through her.

Malchior

How the hell had she so completely lost control over the last few days?

Malchior

When had she become so disgustingly weak, so codependent?

Malchior

His image boiled in her brain and she shot up from the bed convulsing and shaking with a mix of self disgust and odium. This was all _his_ fault. It always was.

Raven attempted to calm herself down. With all the trouble she had been having with her emotions she did not need to blow up now.

Of course, right then Malchior decided to walk into the apartment.

** Malchior **

He stopped in the doorway, his hand hung in mid-air waiting to shut the door. She was soaked with anger. He was half tempted to turn around and head out the door, but the dragon in him wouldn't let him sacrifice his pride just to avoid confrontation. He calmly shut the door and set down the grocery bags that embodied the reason for his absence. This only made her worse.

"Don't you DARE turn your back on me!" She snarled, her voice caught between human and demon.

He sighed, "What is it Raven."

Her laugh bounced off the walls with a sickening echo that belonged only in Hell. "What is it? WHAT IS IT? WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MAKE ME SO DAMN WEAK!"

Again, he sighed, and something in his mind snapped loose. He was fighting the urge to lunge at her and rip her throat out for addressing him like that. No, the other part of him protested, she was far too precious for that.

A sharp pain in his head momentarily distracted him. He felt…. Torn? Like there were two different people warring for control in his head. One a toneless, foreign voice spoke of his sudden undying love for Raven. The other, sounding more like his own, compelled him to fight her off, dominate and destroy her. Now completely distracted, he missed the flash of dark blue and black as Raven jumped on him, her elongated claws flashing gracefully before plunging into his shoulder.

With a cry of anger, he gave in to instinct and shook her off of him. He spun and raised his hands to send off a spell her direction. She was ready for it and threw up a shield to deflect the purple mass of energy. With a growl he threw himself at her letting his own claws grow to match hers. She parried the blow and leapt backwards to absorb the momentum of his inhuman strength.

His surroundings fell away as he focused solely on this menace in front of him. This other beast that dared to defy his power. The overwhelming need to dominate her was driving every slash and spell that he drove Raven's way.

Her fighting was equally primitive. The demon inside of her was furious with his challenge of its command. He could see it in the growing waves of dark energy that whipped around them. He could see it in her tight posture, shoulders high and thrown back in indignation.

He could see it in her eyes; feral and authoritative.

There was a growing excitement in him. This was a battle worth fighting. All of those meek humans and creatures were nothing compared to them; insignificant. This was why he needed her. She was the only one worth struggling against.

The only one who could even come close to challenging him.

He did not love her. He understood this now.

No.

He _needed _her.

**-*-*- Robin -*-*-**

**[Flashback on the night Raven died]**

It was late. How late, he didn't know. Starfire, Beastboy, and Cyborg had all gone to bed hours ago; latching onto this rare lull in nighttime crime and using it to make up for lost sleep.

He sat staring straight at the screen in front of him. The large windows of the common room did nothing to light the pitch black room. There was no moon, no stars, tonight, just an infinite black blanketing the quiet city in secrets.

The screen flickered on and drew him out of his reverie. A window popped up and read, in bold black letters, "Incoming Transmission: Gotham City- Batman."

Robin tapped the enter button on the keyboard before him allowing the transmission to go through. Batman's scowling countenance filled the giant screen.

"Did you get rid of her?" Batman's voice was strange. Off. The same way it had been the last time he and Robin had communicated.

"Yes." Robin knew his voice was tight and angry. He forced his uncaring façade to stay firmly on his face.

Bruce almost smiled. Almost. "You did the right thing. She was a dangerous variable. A gamble. We can't afford to take gambles in hero work." He paused and waited for Robin's response.

Robin chose to remain silent, preferring to voice his opinion through actions rather than words.

Batman's scowl reappeared as quickly as it had disappeared. "You'll understand one day."

"One day?" Robin spat, "You're right! I don't understand! I don't understand why you suddenly take an interest in my team mate and then tell me to kick her out because she's a demon. Raven is our friend! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to make sure she believed me? To tell her those kind of things –" his voice broke and he abruptly shut up, bottling up his pain and anger.

Batman's laugh was cruel. "You're not a boy anymore Robin. It's time you learned what a man's world is like. Especially a hero's world. We don't have the luxury of choosing ourselves over others. Sometimes – no, most of the time – we must injure ourselves in order to save them. That's the way it works Robin."

Robin's brain whirled. A sudden feeling of mistrust had settled into his gut the moment Batman had laughed. He knew his mentor. His father figure. Batman was cold and removed but not cruel. No, he was one of the most compassionate people Robin knew.

It all clicked into place then. Robin wondered at how he had missed it when this man had called him the first time.

This wasn't Batman.

"Who the hell are you?" Robin spat.

A tiny flicker of movement just above the man's eyebrow confirmed Robin's suspicion.

He opened his mouth to demand an answer but the screen went black.

Robin slammed his hands on the keyboard and furiously typed in code after code telling the computer to search the Communication Records and track the last received transmission. As the computer worked, Robin anxiously tapped his foot.

Damn! He had been stupid and let the team down again. He made a list of things to do in his head.

Track down the imposter

Call Batman and ask if he had any idea who would do this

Alert Titans of the situation

Find Raven and bring her home

A message popped up on the screen.

**Signal lost, unable to trace transmission.**

Plaster exploded from the wall where Robin's fist imbedded itself.

"DAMMIT!"

_**Raven**_

Delight wound around inside of her and combined with Rage to form a twisted, evil joy at the violence and damage they inflicted on the building and each other.

The sounds of sirens and screams didn't reach their ears. The flashing blue and red lights didn't register with their eyes. It was only him and her. Lost in a perverseworld of their claws, and powers, and minds. Malchior had switched to his dragon form sometime during the fight. She had barely noticed.

Blood painted the walls, carpet, furniture; a beautiful splash of color on the gray background of rubble and debris. Hers, his, all mixed together and indistinguishable.

She dodged a carefully aimed volley of intangible arrows as best she could. One grazed her thigh and another her cheek. The pain was inconsequential. He was still fighting, so she could too.

Dodge. Attack. Pain. Snarl. Dodge. Parry. Spell. Chant. Blood. Evade. Attack.

None of it really mattered. This wasn't even a fight anymore. It was a dance. A sick, dangerous dance between them.

Intimate and feral.

This was their acknowledgement of each other. This was the only way her demon and his dragon could communicate. The only way they could speak. A language of injuries and blood, power and dominance. She was so lost in it. So completely gone.

She didn't want to fight this instinct. Not when they were so close, so strong. Nothing mattered. Nothing at all.

She landed a strong punch on his massive chest and sent him reeling back into the wall. His wings snapped out to catch himself before he fell off the gaping opening in the wall. She lunged and tore at his wings, feeling her talons slide through the tough scales. He screamed in fury and shoved her back away from the hole, following to attack again. She stood and shook the dizziness from her head, slinking back into a defensive pose to prepare for his oncoming assault.

"Raven!"

Something about the sound nagged at her brain, distracting her.

"Raven!"

The sound contained more pitches now, high and low, feminine and masculine.

She shook her head and took a heavy blow to the chest due to her lack of concentration. Her back hit the wall and the air wheezed out of her lungs. She was confused. It was as if someone had flipped a TV on. Noises and lights assaulted her as harshly as one of Malchior's claws.

"Friend Raven please!"

More flashes of familiarity.

"Yo Rae! Snap out of it!"

Her foot slipped on some blood and Malchior caught her by the collar and dragged his claws down her back. She couldn't fight back. Uncertainty spread all over her body wiping away her invincibility and leaving the pain of her injuries in its wake. Malchior raised a foot to slam down on her stomach, talons extended.

Something small and hard slammed into Malchior, taking him by surprise. He dropped Raven and turned to face the new threat.

Raven followed his gaze, her eyes slowly focusing on the world around her.

The Titans.

All four of them and Titans East were gathered on the ground below them. The wall of the apartment was completely destroyed. In fact, almost everything was completely destroyed. She gazed down at them for a moment before comprehending the situation.

Horror choked her.

She looked at the remains of the building, the blood coating everything, and remembered the joy. The pure bliss she had felt at letting loose and holding nothing back. She swallowed bile and stood up shakily from where Malchior had dropped her. This was what she was, a demon nothing more. The world began to sway and the Titans rushed to catch her as she plummeted to the ground four stories down. Robin ended up being the one to wrap his arms around her just before she hit the pavement. She stared at him.

"Was anyone killed?" She asked forcefully.

Robin just looked away, his mask crinkling between his brows and discomfort coloring his expression.

She looked around at the faces surrounding them; the bewildered and frightened citizens and police, Titans East huddled and staring after Malchior's retreating form, and Starfire with such sadness in her eyes. Beastboy wouldn't look at her, he just kept shoveling debris aside with no apparent purpose. Cyborg sat next to her his eyes regretful.

That was all the answer she needed. She closed her eyes and disappeared into a pitch black, raven-shaped shadow.

**AN: Thanks for reading! I know a lot of the characters underwent drastic changes in this chapter. This is sort of a transition chapter. That's part of why it's so confusing. Although if you paid attention there were some answers in this chapter regarding Robin kicking Raven off the team. The next couple of chapters should clear more things up! ^.^**

**Please review!**

**Sarah****  
**


	6. Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own the teen titans and thereby any of the characters or the settings used in this story. I do, however, own the plot. YAY for me!

AN: Hello everybody! I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed *****_**cough-5 people-cough**_***** and remind the populace that a little acknowledgement goes a long way. I've had several people fav or alert my story (which I love), but that honestly doesn't tell me much about what you're thinking about my story. The only way I can improve my writing is through your feedback. If anyone noticed, **Hugo The Diabolical Penguin **and **Drifting One** both gave me useful reviews and I did my best to fix the mistakes they pointed out. I loved their criticizing reviews more than any others because they helped to better my story! Anyway, long story short, please review! Don't make me beg! (I guess I already am….)

~*~_Raven~*~_

Raven stared blankly at the ocean below. The dark waves rushed the stone cliff face only to crash and break on its cold surface before slinking back for another go. Just like her demon. No matter how cold and hard she made herself, the unwavering persistence slowly wore her down, eroding both her determination and her spirit. She wondered why she continued to fight. Was it because she knew that the chaos that would ensue, should her demon gain complete control, would destroy millions of lives? Or was it simply because she hated to lose to her father? Perhaps it was both.

No matter what the reason, she wasn't doing a very good job of it. The events earlier proved that all too well. Her blood still streamed steadily from wounds she had made no effort to fix. Despite the fact that she would soon die if the bleeding continued, she saw no reason to. It sickened her how easily madness had consumed her. Not only had she trusted Malchior, she had given in to her demon. _'Willingly…' _a small voice whispered in her mind. She deserved to die for her stupidity. No, she deserved more than death, she deserved eternal suffering. Of course for her, eternal suffering and death were synonymous. If she died, she would simply return to Hell and be forced to serve her father. Escaping would be near impossible while in his domain where he would control the human half of her and where the demon half of her would be more than willing to submit.

It struck her as impossibly funny that even death offered no reprieve for her. No matter how screwed up her life got, she couldn't escape. If she committed suicide she would lose the freedom her human half offered her.

An endless stream of memories swam through her head. Malchior, the fight, her father, Azarath, and the Titans all mixed up in one giant jumble of pain and reality. Everything seemed so muddled. The events of the last couple of days were so out of character for her. She attempted to bring some sanity back to her mind by taking deep breaths and closing her eyes. She forced herself to think of the day when everything became messed up. '_It had to have been,' _She paused to consider, '_the day before I saw Malchior in the café… I never did find out how he escaped the book. I was so torn up that day too. I've always had trouble with my emotions but that was bizarre. I thought I loved HIM. That monster…' _shudders rippled down her back at the thought. That was definitely when everything changed.

She remembered stumbling to her room feeling distraught over Malchior's betrayal. An alarm went off in her mind when she realized she couldn't remember what had happened right before that. There had been a call to apprehend some bank robbers, which she remembered clearly. Nothing strange had happened during the mission. It had all gone smoothly and quickly. She recalled choosing to walk home ahead of the Titans so she could stop and pick up a book that she ordered from a nearby bookshop, but nothing after that. There was a thirty minute gap in her memory between the time she left the Titans and arrived in her room.

Suddenly, a chill went through her, '_I wasn't carrying a book when I got back to the Tower.'_

- Robin –

Robin spoke quietly with the infuriated police chief, "I apologize, Sir. We didn't see this coming at all. It wasn't Raven's fault. That dragon that flew off when we got here was the criminal Malchior. She was just fighting him. We will pay for the damages to the building."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULL SHIT;" screamed the chief, "SHE WAS CLEARLY OUT OF CONTROL! AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT A DAMN BUILDING! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU PLAN TO DO ABOUT FIVE DEAD PEOPLE? YOUR SO CALLED TITAN CAUSED THE DEATH OF FIVE INNOCENTS!"

A group of curious citizens and media was beginning to form behind the police tape surrounding the barely standing building. Robin glanced at them and nodded to the Titans East when they gave him a questioning look. They nodded back and began to push people away from the scene while calming the citizens and deflecting the media's questions. Robin turned back to the furious man in front of him. He gave a wearied sigh and seemed to age twenty years in two seconds; deep frown lines marred his young face as he said, "I don't know what to say chief. They were unintentional casualties. I can't do anything about people who are already dead. As much as it regrets me, there isn't anything we can do."

The man's voice became low and deadly, "I don't want to see that monster in this city again. If you thought you could trust something like that, I fear for the future of this city with your judgment 'guarding' it."

Robin winced and put a hard expression on his face, his anger fueling his voice, "You have no right to throw her out. She is a member of my team and far from a threat to this city. In fact, she has saved your ungrateful ass countless times. I suggest you drop your accusations and just deal with the cleanup here, _sir."_

The man uttered a cruel laugh and looked Robin straight in the eye, something only the very brave did, and said, "I'm not the only one who will be calling for her removal from this city. I suggest you drop your high and mighty act and realize that you don't rule this world. In fact, I might just go to the city council and demand that the Titans be banned from the city altogether. Believe me, with all the recent events very few people trust in your ability to protect us." He gave Robin one last sneer before turning and yelling orders to his men.

Robin growled and turned to face the other Titans who had been hovering behind him listening to the conversation.

"Who does that guy think he is? Threatening to throw us out like that! I'm gonna give him a taste of my laser cannon if he comes anywhere near the Tower or Rae!" Cyborg's livid voice intoned.

"Friend Cyborg is right! I will not allow this man to destroy our lives! I will make him eat the Pudding of Shame for saying such nasty words!" Starfire's voice joined in.

Robin allowed a small smile to cross his face at their support and turned to look at Beast Boy, the only one of them who wasn't shaking with anger.

"Dude, I can't believe that was Raven. She's always so boring and chill. Then all of a sudden BAM! It was scary. I thought she was a completely different person," Beast Boy said, fear in his voice.

Suddenly Cyborg turned to face Robin, "What are you going to do with Raven? You threw her off the team already right? You told the chief that she was one of the team though," his voice was suspicious. Gasps followed his announcement. Starfire and Beast Boy gaped at Robin.

"DUDE! You threw Raven off of the team! When? Why didn't I know about this?" Beastboy's eyes were comically wide as he said this, disbelief and anger forcing his face into an unpleasant visage.

Robin glared at Cyborg and said, "Thanks for ruining it Cy. I was going to pretend that never happened. But, I guess you guys need to know something. I was ordered to kick Raven off the team. It was Batman. Only it wasn't him, not really anyway. Someone was posing as Batman, and whoever it was didn't want Raven on the team with us. I tried to track the signal when he cut it off after I figured out he was an imposter, but I lost it." Robin finished with a deep sigh at his own gullibility.

The three Titans around him look shocked. Beastboy's mouth had dropped open and his eyes were even larger, if possible. Starfire's face was blank with incomprehension as she struggled to understand what Robin had told them. Cyborg's eyes were wide and his face taught as he too struggled to wrap his mind around the news. Finally, Cyborg asked, "Have you tried to contact the _real _Batman to find out what's going on? I find it very hard to believe that Batman would let someone pose as him without informing us or stopping the guy… Do you think something happened to him?"

Robin sighed once again. "Honestly, I don't know, Cyborg," he paused seeming to gather his thoughts, "I know for a fact that Batman wouldn't have trouble dealing with some small-fry criminal. That means that either the imposter somehow stayed under the radar or we are dealing with a dangerous criminal. I prefer to think that this guy just found a way to escape the Justice League's notice and trick our computer into thinking it was Batman's signal he was transmitting. However, there's no evidence either way at this point. I just don't know." Robin ended his musings with a rueful shake of his head and met Cyborg's eyes, "The first thing we need to worry about is finding Raven and making sure she's okay. She looked really beat up. We need to get her back to the Tower ASAP. Cyborg, can you run a scan? Check for her communicator first, but don't contact her yet. She might need some time alone for a bit. I just want to know where she is. Beastboy, go help the Titans East deal with the cleanup here and once you're done, take them back to the Tower and help them get settled in for a while. I invited them so that we could deal with the Batman imposter problem and let them handle Jump. Starfire, I need you to go back to the Tower and try to contact Batman for me. If you can get through, then patch the transmission to my communicator, if not, then message me and let me know. Any questions?"

Beastboy raised his hand, "So if we're doing all of that, then what are you gonna do?"

Robin gave a small, sad smile, "I'm going to go apologize to Raven."

The Titans beamed at him and then separated to perform their assigned duties. Cyborg stayed behind to look at Robin. Then he said, "Now this decision I will help you with. Rae is standing on the cliff a mile north of West Beach. Make sure you take care of Rae for me." With that, Cyborg gave Robin a rough clap on the back and left to help Beastboy with the Titans East.

Robin smiled and whispered, "Thanks, Cyborg. I'll do my best."

~*~_Raven~*~_

Her thoughts were getting hazier and hazier the longer she stood on the tall precipice. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her instincts screamed at her to back away from the edge and find the Titans before she bled to death. Although she wanted to respond, she found she couldn't move. The pain and self-loathing she was focusing all of her energies on compressing were wearing her down more and more with every passing second. She wanted to slip into that same cold nothingness that had embraced her in the alleyway behind that bar only last night. She let her eyes roam the imposing ocean below. She watched its deadly grace and power with only a remorseful smile. Her emotions were still raging uncontrollably. She didn't usually have so much trouble pushing them down. After all, that was a skill she had been practicing since she was born.

The haziness was now creeping down from her head to the rest of her body, making her sway hazardously. It felt like ice-cold fingers trailing down her skin with a slow, nerve-wracking pace that made her want to scream and cry and rage at the world around her.

She felt her knees buckle slightly, beginning to collapse under the weight of her body and the emotions that wrapped around it like a chain, forcing her down. She prepared herself for the plummet to the water, vaguely wondering if she would die after all and lose to her father. She didn't want that.

'_I don't want that….'_

Before she could tip too far forward, warm arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to safety. Warm breath tickled her ear and a frenzied voice erupted from behind her.

"Raven! Are you all right? Dammit, you're bleeding too much. Come on let's get you back to the Tower. Back where you belong. I'm so sorry Raven. It's my fault. I fell for a trap placed by a villain who is posing as Batman. I really didn't want to throw you off the team," Robin paused to see that her eyes were fixed on his face with a look of wonder, "What is it?"

She reached up and pressed a cold, bloodied hand to his cheek. "You came for me, even though I lost control. Even though I killed people…" She stopped as a violent shudder ripped through her, "You came. I though you hated me."

Robin pressed his own hand to the one covering his cheek and then moved it down to support her back while he lifted her bridal-style and began walking back to the R-Cycle he had arrived on. "Of course I came, Raven. You're my teammate. More importantly, you're my best friend." He smiled somewhat shyly at her.

She drew in a deep, tremulous breath at this new revelation that coursed through her.

"Thank you Robin," she whispered, hovering near unconsciousness, "Thank you for caring about me anyway."

[][][]Cyborg[][][]

Cyborg wondered absentmindedly when Robin would show up with Raven. He knew they needed time to talk and sort things out, but he also knew that Raven needed medical attention. Thus, he had spent the past fifteen minutes preparing the clinic in the Tower while Beastboy got the Titans East set up in their rooms and Starfire worked on getting through the transmission jam the imposter had gifted us with after his last message to Robin. She was surprisingly good at breaking through jamming signals. According to her, it was a lot like the Tamaranian game Norfintym, whatever the hell that was.

He sighed and looked around the room, realizing that there was nothing left to do there. He decided to go and watch Starfire work; it was better than sitting around waiting.

Starfire was busily tapping away at the large screen that hung down from the wall in the "debriefing room", as the team called it. She turned to smile at Cyborg.

"Friend Cyborg! Glorious news! I have just finished the game of Norfintym. It was much harder than any other match I have ever played. Galfore would be proud of me! Now, I must contact the Batman for friend Robin," Starfire said enthusiastically.

Cyborg smiled and replied, "Great job star. Now we can track down this imposter and kick some booo-teh!"

The transmission went straight through. '_Leave it to Robin's mentor to be constantly watching his communication line.' _Cyborg automatically straightened up at the imposing sight of Batman's scowling face filling the screen.

"What's wrong?" he asked brusquely.

Cyborg stepped closer to the screen and said, "Well, we'll just patch you through to Robin and ya'll can have a nice chat about what's wrong." If possible, Batman's scowl deepened and he gave a tiny nod to indicate that he agreed with the arrangement. Cyborg nodded to Starfire and she pressed a button on the table console and the screen blanked. After a moment, a message popped up that read, "Transmission successfully rerouted."

Cyborg gave Starfire a high five as they left the room to sit on the couch and wait for Robin and Raven to arrive.

- Robin –

Robin leaned as far to the right as he could in order to glide quickly through the tight turn. A considerable challenge considering that an unconscious Raven was sitting side-saddle in front of him, nestled neatly between his arms. She had been out cold since the walk back to the bike fifteen minutes ago. The Tower was only another five minutes away, but he was still worried. She wasn't looking very good. Her skin, where it wasn't covered in either blood or torn cloth, was even paler than usual and there were dark bruises beneath her eyes. Her hair was tangled and matted through with dried blood and sweat. It was amazing that even though she should have looked like death she actually looked like some beautiful fallen angel. '_She would laugh if she heard that.' _Robin thought suddenly. He refocused on the road and made the next turn smoothly.

An abrupt beeping on his wrist made Robin look down at his communicator. It was a redirected transmission from the Titans Tower. Batman.

Robin released the handle bar for a second to flip up the communicator's screen. "Robin here," he answered with a serious face.

"What's going on?" Batman said, without preamble.

Robin scowled at the image on his screen, then asked, "What is my real name, when was I born, and what is the first thing you taught me?"

Batman, without skipping a beat answered, "Your name is Dick Grayson, according to your records you were born on September 2, 1993. The first thing I taught you was that Christopher Reeve once said, 'A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.'"

Robin gave a sigh of relief and smiled at his mentor. It wasn't necessarily Batman's answers that had convinced Robin of his identity; it was the tiny hint of warmth that had entered his mentor's voice as he spoke the quote he held so dear to him. He began talking at once, "Sorry about that. I had to make sure it was actually you. You see, a couple of days ago, I got a transmission from someone who was pretending to be you. I'm assuming you don't know about this, which means that the imposter managed to trick the Titan's computer into thinking the transmission was yours. Not an easy feat. Anyway, the first time he contacted me, he told me to kick Raven off of the team because she was a danger to the city and the world at large. I didn't want to but he said that the Justice League had received intelligence that proved Raven was a traitor, spying for her father. So I did kick Raven off the team," here Robin paused and glanced down at the small frame in his arms.

"I can see that something happened while she was gone," Batman said with a frown, examining the injuries he could see on Raven from his limited viewpoint.

"Yeah, I'm getting her back to the Tower for medical attention right now. Anyway, I kicked her off the team. She packed up and left and the imposter contacted me again that night. I told him that I had gotten rid of her and he said some things that just didn't sound right. They sounded….hateful and mean. While you can be a little angry sometimes, I've never heard you sound like that. That was when I began to suspect something. Then, I asked him who he was. I wasn't really thinking straight. I guess I was just so angry that I had allowed myself to be so easily tricked. I should have been stealthier about finding out who he was," Robin's voice rose in self-directed anger. He took a breath and continued, "The guy's face twitched. At that point I knew he was nervous and had been lying. He cut the transmission off and I tried to trace it. It was too late though. Whoever he is, he's good with technology. Well that's the story. We're working to find out who it was right now. I was hoping you might have some idea about who it could be."

Batman was quiet. He was obviously concentrating on absorbing the information and drawing conclusions. Robin waited patiently. He hit the button to reveal the long road that lead to the Tower's garage. He was half-way up it when Batman finally spoke. He said, "I don't have any specific suspects. There isn't anyone who I've encountered before who would be able to pull something like that off right now. Everyone who can is locked up in Arkham. Let me do some research. I'll get back to you as soon as I find anything out. Don't do anything rash, all right?"

Robin sighed and nodded. "I got it. I'll let you know if we find anything out too."

Batman nodded back and replied, "Good," he paused, "Robin…. Remember that we all make mistakes. Don't think that everything is your fault all the time."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he cut the transmission and Robin closed his communicator. It was perfect timing. Robin had just pulled into the garage. Cyborg was already clanking down the stairs to help him get Raven to the clinic.

They rushed her cold body upstairs and settled it into one of the clinic beads. Cyborg's expression turned grim once he began examining her. Robin worked on toweling off the blood on her face, arms, legs, and clothes. Cyborg was busy hooking machines up and taking readings with his equipment. After a moment, he stopped and looked Robin in the eye. "It's not good man. She's lost most of her blood. Her powers aren't kicking in to heal herself which means something's interfering with them. I'm going to take a blood sample and see if I can find any reason why that would happen. Meanwhile, I have her hooked up to an IV and a ventilator so she should pull through. There's no way to tell until later though."

Robin gave a grim nod and disposed of the now filthy towel he been using. He sank into a chair and jumped when Starfire and Beastboy burst into the room.

"Oh no, is friend Raven going to be all right? Should I make the Pudding of Health? I cannot live without her. She is the only one who can accompany me to the mall of shopping. The only one I can do the girlie activities with!" Starfire's voice cracked on the last word and she sank into the chair next to Robin's.

Beastboy just stared open mouthed at Raven's form. Robin turned slightly and realized that the Titans East had gathered around the door to the room. He sighed heavily and stood up. "All right, I know we all want to stay and help Cyborg take care of Raven but I don't think that there is anything we can do. All we're doing is getting in the way. Everyone to the common room; we have things we need to figure out. Cyborg, is she stable enough that you can come, or do you want to stay?"

"I need to finish the blood test, man. I'll come once that's done."

"Then let's go," Robin said in his best leader voice.

They all shuffled out quietly, with looks of sadness on their faces.

AN: OKAY! That was a long chapter (for me). Eight pages WOOT WOOT. I decided that since I haven't uploaded in a while, you guys deserved a long chapter. So, a lot of plot movement in this one. I'm sorry that it's not particularly exciting, but I needed this chapter to transition into the next phase of my master plan…. Mwahahahaha. I hoped you enjoyed it anyway. Was it just me or was there a hint of Rob/Rae in there? *wink wink* so, just in case anyone was wondering, these are the ages of the characters:

Raven: 17

Robin: 17

Cyborg: 18

Beastboy: 16

Starfire: 16

Malchior: Freaking ancient

Mas y Menos: 15

Bumblebee: 17

Speedy: 17

Aqualad: 17

Yay! Well, thanks for reading. Remember our little discussion at the beginning of the chapter? Well, now would be the time to take it to heart. Review please!


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